A New Start
by Seeria Nix
Summary: Troy and Gabriella are together, have kids, and ar living the life. Triplets come along, and all are sick in the NICU. When they overcome this problem, Kenzi arrives. A sweet little story, please read! LAST CHAPTER!
1. Deigo and Kessie

This is my second attempt at a High School Musical fanfic. People seemed to like the other one I did, Broken Lives, so I have decided to start a new one. I am not sure how often I will be able to update, as I have work and I am studying to get into a really good collage. I am also stuck beby-sitting both of my little brothers for a week. What was supposed to be a biusness meeting for my mom turned into a huge mess and now I think I am going to go crazy. Jessie, my boyfriend, is going to drive out here tomorrow and help me with my brothers, and is going to stay a week, so I will only be able to write at night.

**P.S. **I do not have a beta. All mistakes are mine.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any characters besides the ones I made up.

* * *

Troy hit his head against the clip-board. This kids were _horrible. _They could not sing, they could not act, hell, they couldn't even walk across the stage without tripping. Why did he get stuck with the kindergarden class? On the bright side ... 

Troy grinned as he watched the litte boy bounce around on stage. He saw Troy looking at him and grinned, waving and running over, almost tripping over his untied shoes. Troy grinned and caught the little boy as he launched himself off the stage.

"Hey, Deigo. How ya doing?"

"Good. Can I be in the pway?" He asked, sticking his tounge out between his missing teeth. His bright blue eyes shone as he wiggled in Troy's grasp. Troy grinned and placed the little boy on his shoulders. He then proceded to walk out of the room, several of the kids in tow.

"Maybe. Kids! Back to class!" All of the little children ran around him, eventually finding their way back to the kindergarden class that Troy taught. They sat down. Some in their seats, some_ on_ their seats, and some on other kids seats. But they were all sat down, which was amazing right after lunch and the sugar rush. Troy placed the little boy ona desk in the front. He had gotten in trouble a few days before, and had to be moved up closer to the teacher.

"OK, settle down. Now, please take out your books..." The day wore on, several kids fell asleep in class for the school had removed the 'Nap Time' part of the day. One kid peed his pants, one cut his arm, two girls started crying because they didn't understand what Troy was saying, and Deigo started singing right in the middle of class. As soon as school was out, Troy dropped into his chair. Deigo shoved his books in his backpack and walked up to Troy.

"Daddy? When is Mommy going to be here?" Troy lifted the little kid up and set him on the edge of the desk, handing him a candy to keep him ocupied until his mom came; she had the car.

"I don't know. Let me give her a ring." Troy took his cell from his desk and hit the speed dial. Soon, the woman on the other end picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hi! My day has been a total reck. How are you?" Troy could almost see her smiling on the other end.

"Good. Look, I am going to be a little late. I have to stay and help one of the kids with her singing."

"Yea. Remind me again why I didn't decide to teach just Drama and I had to go for the whole nine yards?"

"Because. You have always been like that. That is why you actually painted exotic patterns on Deigo's wall even before he was born." Troy laughed, reaching over and taking the A+ stamper from Deigo before he stuck it in his mouth.

"OK, fine. Actually, Deigo was the best singer today."

"Well, not surprising. Must be in the genes. I mean, we sang for years. Me longer than you because after your first musical, your dad made you go back to BasketBall for a while. Anyway, I gotta go now. Do not give Deigo candy. Do you have any idea how hard it is to get a hyper kid to sleep?" Troy laughed again.

"Yes I do. Have a good day, Honey. And be sure to pick Kessie up from your mom's. I don't think you mom wants an extra day with a two-year-old." Troy smiled at the thought of his blond daughter. She was two, and looked exactly like her mom. Except the hair. Kessie was a miraicle. When Deigo had been born, the doctor had said that Mrs. Bolton wouldn't be able to have any more kids. Something had gone wrong with the birth, and they had to do an emergencyC-section, and had damanged her body in the process.

"Love you. No candy!" She laughed and hung up the phone. Troy laughed as well, dropping the phone back into his pocket and taking the candy from Deigo.

"Come on little guy. Lets go see if we can't find something a little more healthy for you to snack on." He placed Deigo back on his shoulders and laughing, they walked out the door.

* * *

Short, I know, and I am sorry. I just am in a hurry. Anyway, what do you think? I didn't mention Deigo and Kessie's mom's name on purpose.Who do youthink it is? I left a few clues...

PLEASE REVIEW!


	2. How Fast?

Hi! I have a few minutes to write, and I am going to take advantage of it. I got Reese and Daniel to take a nap, and Jessie is visiting a few friends while he is here. He doesn't come often, so he wanted to say hi while the little one's are sleeping. My mom called and said she was going to be back on Friday. I just hope I can stay sain that long.

Anyway, here is your update. I shall reveil the mom in this chapter. Sorry to dissapoint some of you!

**P.S. **I do not have a beta. All mistakes are mine.

**To see Disclaimer, see Chapter 1.**

* * *

Troy threw the Basketball to Deigo. He grinned and ran to the other side of the gym, throwing the ball up. Troy watched, expecting it to miss; like it had been doing all day. But to his surprise, it went straight through the hoop. Just as Deigo started screeching in exciment, Troy found his arms full of blonde hair. He looked down into the smiling face of his little girl. Her hair was starting to take on a darker color like her moms, so it looked like they had streaked it. Her blue eyes were a mirror image of her brothers. 

"Hey, Kessie. Did you have fun at Grandmas?" She nodded, using his shirt to climb further up onto him. Troy lifted her and placed her on his shoulders. She grabbed onto his hair for support. Deigo ran up to him and grabbed onto his leg.

"Daddy! Did you see what I did?" Troy nodded.

"Very good, Deigo." Suddenly a third voice cut in.

"You are going to be a Basketball star like your daddy, Deigo."

"Mommy!" Deigo shouted, letting go of Troy's leg and running into the waiting arms of his mother. She picked him up and swung him around before settling him on her hip. She walked up to Troy, kissing him on the cheek.

"Sorry I am so late. Mom wanted me to stay a few minutes."

"Thats OK. Me and Deigo were having fun. Wern't we, buddy?"

"Yea! Daddy gave me.." Troy clamped his hand over the hyper kids mouth. He smiled and looked up atDeigo's mom. She had a knowing look on her face.

"Candy?" She finished Deigo'ssentence.

"Yeah!" He shouted as soon as Troy had removed his hand from his mouth. "And we played catch, and we played..." He droned on and on as Troy looked up.

"Sorry, Honey." He had the grace to look slightly ashamed. He looked down at Deigo, who was running in circles around his mom's knees. Troy smiled.

"Fine. But you get to put him to bed tonight." Troy groaned but continued smiling nonetheless.

"Lets go home, Gabi." He wrapped his arm around her waist, and Kessie on his shoulders and Deigo hugging his mom's leg, they walked out of the gym.

* * *

Troy laid a very sleepy Deigo down on his small blue bed in the room connecting to his sisters. Deigo had his thumb in his mouth, and was fighting to keep his eyes open. It was a battle he was losing. He yawned loudly as Troy tucked the bright green blanket covered in Aliens around his small body. Smiling, he kissed the young boy on the head. He then turned on the night light and turned out the light. The night light cast an eerie glow about the room. Walking over to the conjoining door to Kessie's room, he opened it to see Gabriella singing softly to Kessie. She was yawning. Gabriella finished the lulaby and placed her in the bright pink bed in the mass of stuffed animals.The bedstill had siderails on it. There were purple flowers and animals on the blanket. The walls of her room were pained pink and the carpet was a fluffy pink as well. 

"Hello." Troy said, walking over. He placed his arm around Gabriella's waist, looking down at his daughter.

"Hi. She went right to sleep." The two walked quietly out of the room, switching the night light on on the way out. Troy sighed and dropped down on the couch. Looking up at the clock, he realized that it was eight O'clock. Usually they had gotten the kids to sleep by seven-thirty. Kessie always got up in the middle of the night, so they pushed her bedtime back half an hour. She whined that Deigo should have to go to bed early, too. Finally, after days and days of whining from Kessie, Deigo's bedtime was pushed back as well.

"How was it?" Gabriella asked out of the blue.

"What?" She sat down on the couch beside Troy, leaning into him.

"The adutions."

"Oh. Well, Deigo was good, so was another little girl named Haven. I think they are going to get the main parts. Sharpay's girl, Danielle, was good as well." After High School the three had become friends. Sharpay and Zeke's daughter was born two years later, only two months after Deigo was born. Gabriella and Troy had been married almost right after school, Deigo being concieved only weeks after the wedding.

"Really? What about George?" George was Jessica's cousin. He was four also, but was in Kindergarden with Danielle. He was an early starter.

"He was horrible. Though he _can_ throw a ball." Gabriella laughed. Troy reached over into his bag and pulled out a recorder.

"Whats that?" Gabriella asked as Troy started the playback.

"I recorded the adutions. I need help." They listened to the kids singing for over an hour. Finally, it ended.

"I like Haven. She was great for a five-year-old." The two talked over it for a while more, then sat back into the couch. Gabriella smiled and walked over to the TV, picking out one of the tapes and sticking it in the VCR.

"What is that?" Troy asked, raising an eyebrow, hoping it wasn't one of Gabriella's favorite 'chick flicks'.

"Kessie's baby tape." They started watching it. There was her birth; which was thankfully easy, her first cry, her first days away from the hospital. Her first words, steps, everything. Troy had brought it to a friend, and he had edited it so it looked exactly like a movie. Gabriella smiled.

"It seems like just yesterday that she was born." She said sadly. "She's two now. How fast is her life going to go?" Troy placed his arm around her shoulder.

"Yea. I remember when Deigo was born. How scared I was. Worried. And then I saw him, and I saw you, and I was the happiest man in the world." Gabriella smiled.

"I would like to have another baby." A tear slipped unnoticed down her face. She knew she would probably never be able to have kids again. Deigo had caused complications, making it very hard for Gabriella to concieve. Then when she had delivered Kessie two months early, more complications had occured. Before Kessie, her chanced to concieve were about twenty percent. After Kessis, they were about two percent.

"I know." Troy pulled her into an embrace as she cried. He looked to his children's room. They were the best thing that had ever happened to him. "I know."

* * *

Well, that was longer than the last one. Mom has been revealed! Troy still hasn't picked the kids for all the parts. Then, how will he get then ready for the big night? Keep tuned in to find out! Jessie is back, and Reese is up from his nap, so I really got to get off. 

PLEASE REVIEW!


	3. A Day In The Life Of The Boltons

Another update! (Gasp) Well, I _really _felt like writing, so I sent Reese and Daniel into the other room to play a little kiddie game with Jessie. He is good with them ...except when he gets them all worked up. Then I would liek to shoot him. Anyway, I love you all for reviewing. I better hurry up and write before Reese and Daniel get tired of playing Uno Attack.

And Kessie's talking is all messed up because she is supposed to be only two.

**P.S.** I have no beta. All mistakes are mine.

**For Disclaimer, see Chapter 1.**

* * *

It was six A.M when Troy finally pulled himself out of his bed and walked into Deigo's room to rouse him for school. He looked at the sleeping child. His head was turned to the side, a small line of drool sliding down his cheek. Careful to be quiet, Troy shook Deigo until he opened his sleepy eyes. Troy automatically put his fingers to his lips, signaling for Deigo to be quiet. Gabriella and Kessie didn't need to be for an hour, and Troy liked the time alone he spent with his son. Deigo yawned and climbed out of his bed. He was wearing a two peice set of pajamas. They were green and covered in aliens making all sorts of different faces. Deigo had a likness for aliens. Pushing him toward the bathroom, Troy stripped his son and got him in the bathtub. 

"Do I gotta take a bath?" He asked, leaning his head against the wall as Troy started running the water, filling the tub.

"Yup. Now come on, hurry. We gotta go in..." Troy glanced at the watch that was every present on his wrist. "An hour." As soon as the bath was full enough, Troy shut off the water and sat on the toilet. Deigo insisted on washing himself, but he still liked to put his face under the water, so either Gabriella or Troy had to be with him the whole time to make sure he didn't drown. As soon as he washed himself, he got out and dressed in the light blue long sleeved shirt and kakhi pants that Troy had brought him. Then, Troy grabbed a comb and attempted to tame his son's hair. Once that was done, both padded barefoot out of the bathroom and into the kitchen where Troy grabbed two bowls and poured the Lucky Charmes cereal into them.

"I like lotsa marshes!" Deigo announced, grabbing one and shoving it into his mouth, smiling up at Troy.

"I know. They're good, aren't they?" Deigo nodded and continued to eat his cereal without milk, and without a spoon until Troy grabbed both and gave them to him. Just then, the quiet cooing from Kessie's room anounced that she was awake. Troy smiled and walked into the pink bedroom. She was laying on her back, looking up at the ceiling. Although she was almost two, she still didn't like to act like it.

"Hey, Sweetie." He picked her up and walked over to her dresser, grabbing some shorts and a T-Shirt. The shorts matched her brothers and were Kakhi, while the shirt was pink with roses, beautifully done, flowing down the side. Quickly dressing her, he laid the sleepy girl against his shoulder and walked back into the kitchen. As soon as he was about to sit down again, the doorbell rang. Getting up, he sighed and tried to put Kessie down. She wouldn't let go. She seemed unusally clingy this morning.

"Fine." He walked to the door and opened it.

"Hello, Troy. Do you always greet your guests in your boxers?" It was the kind of greeting Troy had gotten used to from Gabriella's mom over the years.

"Nope. Just been busy with Deigo and Kessie this morning. Come on-" He was cut off when a large blob of cereal hit him in the back of the head. He turned to see Deigo standing on the couch over the fish bowl, throwing his soggy cereal around it, trying to get it in.

"Oops." He said, smiling widely.

"Deigo, what are you doing?" Troy asked, whiping cereal off his head.

"Feeding the fishies!" He exclaimed, throwing another handful. This time it hit Kessie. She started wailing loudly, big fat tears making their way down her face. At this Deigo giggled. Troy walked over and took the bowl from him and gently but firmly, took Deigo from the couch and set him on the ground. Kessie continued to scream loudly. Suddenly another voice cut in.

"Hi, mom." It was Gabriella. She was standing in the doorway of her and Troy's room. She was wearing a green longsleeved shirt and jeans. Her hair was done nicely and her feet were bare.

"Hello, Dear. Is it always like this aroung the Bolton household?" Deigo spoke up.

"Who's the Boltons'?" Everyone started laughing.

"Yea, pretty much. Troy, please go get dressed." Gabriella said. He grinned and passed Kessie to her, walking into their bedroom and closing the door behind him.

"Well, I am here to take Kessie."Ms. Montez reached out to the little girl, but Kessie wouldn't go.

"I wa sway wif Mama." She said, burying her head in Gabriella's shoulder.

"But Honey, I got to go to work. You need to go with Grandma," Gabriella tried.

"No!" She yelled, tears still falling from her face.

"Why not?" Gabriella asked softly.

"I had a bwad dweam wast night," She said.

"What kind of dream?" Gabriella asked, remembering the time that Deigo had had bad dreams as well. He had been three, and had been scared for weeks.

"Swomting bwad happened to me at Gama's." Gabriella hugged her tight.

"It's OK, sweetie, it was just a dream." Both mom and Grandma tried for over ten minutes, but Kessie refused to go with Ms. Montez.

"Well, I guess she is going to work with me today. Normally, I would just make her go with you, but when Deigo had these dreams, it was horrible. He was scared to death." Ms. Montez nodded. "Sorry you had to drive out here for nothing, mom."

"No it's fine. Where is Troy?"

"Um..." Gabriella looked around, noticing for the first time that Troy hadn't come out of the room for over fifteen minutes. Just then, a head poked out from the brown door.

"Gabi? Where a my socks?"

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Well, what do you think? I am thinking of making the nightmares into something, and I am going to (Eventually) make a chapter of them trying for another baby. 

PLEASE REVIEW!


	4. 20, 10 and 2

Yup! Me again! Well, I am happy 'cause of the feedback I am getting, so I have sent the boys to their friends and Jessie has gone out to do who knows what. My mom called and said she will be back tonight. Thank God. I can't take Reese and Daniel any longer.

Anyway, here is another chapter. Have fun and please don't forget to review! It only takes a second and it makes me update faster.

**P.S.** I do not have a beta, all mistakes are mine.

**For Disclaimer, see Chapter 1.**

* * *

Troy, having finally gotten the kids ready and out of the house, drove into the school parking lot after dropping Gabriella and Kessie off at the school Gabriella worked at. It was a special school for teenagers that wanted to study music. Every five months they had a special presentation. The time was approaching quickly. Troy jumped out of the car and opened the back door for Deigo. He jumped out, nearly falling to the ground and, without looking both ways, ran across the parking lot. Troy sighed and ran after him, rolling his eyes. 

"Deigo! Get back here!"

* * *

"No, Jenessa, you just went to the bathroom five minutes ago." Troy said firmly. Jenessa, a short blonde girl, liked to pull this and get out of school.

"But I really gotta go this time!" Deigo laughed from his seat, propping his legs up against his desk. Troy reached over and pushed them off gently. Deigo fussed but then cheered up, speaking.

"Splatter bladder!" Everyone in the room started laughing, making Jenesse stick out her lip, tears brimming in her eyes.

"That will be quite enough." Troy said, wondering why he ever became a teacher. "Deigo, say you're sorry." Deigo mumbled an apology, then Troy turned to Jenessa. "Go to the bathroom, but this is the last time." She nodded and got up, walking out of the room. Troy turned back to the class. "Now, who can say their ABC's from start to finish?" A small girl raised her hand.

"I can!"

"OK, lets hear them, Haven."

"A, B, C, D, E, um... Z, Y, X?" Troy smiled.

"Close. Anyone else?" Deigo raised his hand, bouncing up and down in his seat.

"I can! I can! A B C D E F G H I J K L MN O Q R S T U V W X Y Z!" Troy smiled.

"Good. But where's the p-" He cut himself off before he fell for the oldest joke in the book. "Very funny, Deigo." Seventeen out of the twenty kids said the ABC's without a problem."Now, everyone, page seven in your reading books. Those of you that know your letters and sounds will read out loud." They went around for two hours, finally finishing the twenty page book. Troy was about to say something when the bell rang. All of the kids jumped up and started gathering their things.

"Homework asignments! I want a fifty word report on one of your animals, if you don't have one, your favorite thing to do!"Troy yelled over the noise. He knew the kids heard because of the various groans. "I will also grade on your penmenship!" More groans. Deigo threw his backpack over his shoulder and ran up to Troy.

"Daddy? Can we go to the gym again?" Troy nodded, running after his son as he bolted from the room. This was going to be a long day.

* * *

"Mr. and Mrs Bolton?" A young nurse called. Gabriella looked up from the magazine she was reading to see a blonde woman in bright pink scrubs smiling at them. 

"Yea." She stood up, Troy right behind her. They then followed the nurse into a room where a doctor soon joined them.

"Hi, Gabriella. How is Kessie?" She asked. She was their O.B. and remembered Kessie very well.

"She is good. She still doesn't like talking, but it's OK." She smiled a little and looked at the ground.

"So, what are you here for today?" Mandy asked.

"We would like to know my chances for having another baby is. You said last year, that afer I recovered from having Kessie, they would go up."

"Well, I will have to run some tests, but it is safe to say they have gone up some. After the tests I will know more." She smiled at them. Soon, another doctor joined them. He ran the rutine tests and several to determine Gabriella's chances to concieve. After nearly two hours, Mandy walked back in.

"Well, I have some good news, bad news and worse news." She looked up from the files she was holding into the expectant faces of the two Boltons'. "Good news. Your chances to get pregnant are up ... to twenty percent again. Bad news, you would only have a ten percent chance of maintaining the pregnancy to your second term. Wosre news. I don't think you will ever be able to carry a baby to full term again. If you were to concieve, you would immedatly go onto bed rest, take several drugs to help mantian the pregnancy, and would deliver early; probably at six or seven months. Giving the child only a fifty percent chance to survive." Gabriella wiped a few tears from her eyes as she looked at the ground.

"So we shouldn't try then, huh?" Mandy shook her head.

"You could try. Your chances for a child after Deigo were not good, but look at Kessie. She is a beautiful, healthy child." Just then the child in question, who they had left with Ms. Montez in the waiting room, pressed her face up against the glass door. She smiled in exciment when she saw her mom and daddy. She yelled something, but it could not be heard through the glass.

"Hey, Kessie." Mandy opened the door and picked the miracle child up and walked over to Gabriella, passing Kessie to her.

"Hey, sweetie." Kessie babbled something unintelligible and Troy laughed.

* * *

_Two weeks later:_

Gabriella closed the toilet seat, leaning up against it. She knew what the nausa could mean, but she didn't want to get her hopes up. This had happened many times in the past year. After having Kessie, it was a frequent thing. But just maybe...

She would have to buy a pregnancy test the next day on her way home from work. She decided she wouldn't tell Troy, because she didn't want to give him hope and then crush it.

Maybe, just maybe...

* * *

Should she be pregnant or not? Whichever one gets more votes, yes or no, goes. You decide! Anyway... 

PLEASE REVIEW!


	5. Authors Notes PLEASE READ!

**Sorry** for not updating! So much is going on in my life, and I really don't have time to write. I got on here to tell you all that I will be off for a week, maybe more. My little brother, Reese, is in the hospital. He is sick, and the doctors have yet to diagnose him with anything. They say that if this gets any worse, he might not get better anytime soon.

Jessie, my boyfriend, was in a car crash and is also in the hospital. He is going to be OK, though. Just a broken leg and a minor concusion.

I have to go now and take Daniel to the hospital to see mom and Reese.

Sorry again.

Sincerely,  
Seeria Nix


	6. Kessie's Wish

Well, another update. My little bro is out of the hospital. He is doing much better with the medicine that they gave him. The doctors said that the reason he was so sick was because of a very bad infection in his leg.He had fallen off of a log outside about a month ago, and appearently, it got infected. Although it didn't look infected to me. Oh, well. Jessie is also staying with us for a while, at least until his parents can come pick him up, seeing as he cannot drive with his broken leg.

Enough of my boring life and back to the story.

**Here are names and ages of all the children. Danielle is Zeke's child, and her last name is just guesswork. They never mention Zeke's name in the movie.**

Deigo Bolton: 5  
Kessie Bolton: 2  
Dylan Danforth: 5  
Luke Evans: 4  
Samantha Evans: 4  
Danielle Rapp: 3

**P.S.** I do not have a beta; all mistakes are mine. Oh, and Kessie's speaking has been warped on purpose.

* * *

"Make a wish!" Troy stood over Kessie as she used the table to hold herself on her feet. She was smiling, looking into the bright pink cake sitting on the table. Several expantent faces looked onher. Gabriella's mom and Troy's parents were there also, with several of Troy's and Gabriella's friends and their familes with them. Kessie stuck her tounge out in concertratin, Deigo jumping up and down. The pinkness of the cake did nothing to hinder his want to eat it. 

"Come on sissy! Makes a wishie so I can eat the cakie!" Deigo jumped around in circles, already hyper on the soda and candy.

"Nwot wet!" She said, making the exact face of her mom when she was telling Deigo to wait for something. Kessie smiled, the leaned forward, blowing with all her might. Both of the pink and purple striped candles went out, the flamed lingering for a second before dying. Kessie jumped up and down in her seat, clapping her tiny hands. Her eyes were glowing with happiness.

"Great job, Kessie!" Troy said, reaching over and ruffling her blondeish brown hair. She frowned momentarily before reaching up and straightening it. Troy laughed. She was so much like her mommy.

"Whatcha wish fer?" Deigo said, pulling his hand back as Gabriella slapped it softly for trying to reach straight into the cake.

"A wittle swister!" She said. "And I bwew out the cwandles, so its come twue!" Gabriella managed a little smile. She would let Kessie be happy, but she would eventually have to tell her that her wish couldn't come true. Ganriella had taken a pregnancy test after the nausa had passed the week before. It had been negative. Ms. Montez noticed Gabriella's sad face and walked over, placing a hand on her back and leading her out of the room as Troy began cutting the cake, gently slapping Deigo's hand out of the way.

"What's wrong, dear?" Ms. Montez asked as the two women sat down.

"Kessie's wish _can't _come true, mom. I thought I was pregnant a week ago, but the test said Negetive. Oh, God, how I would want to give her a little sister, but it can't happen." Tears were shining in her eye's as she tried to hold them back. It was a losing battle.

"Never give up on a mericale, Honey. That is what your father always told me. Never give up. When I was fifteen, I was pregnant from a one night stand with a guy when I was drunk. I miscarried three months in. The doctor told me I would never be able to have children. But here you are, sitting before me with children of your own. Mericale's do happen, Gabbi, and they are not to be questioned. They are to be cheirshed, loved and rejoiced in."

"Thanks mom." Gabriella whiped at her tears. Maybe one day, just maybe, she would be able to grant Kessie's wish. Just then a little hand on her own made her look down.

"Mwommy? Are you swad?" Kessie asked, lifting herself up onto the chouch and sitting beside Gabriella.

"Not now, Kessie. Has Daddy cut the cake yet?" Kessie nodded.

"Yea! It hwas ice cweam in the mwiddle!" Gabriella smiled and allowed her daughter to lead her into the full kitchen. She was not surprised to see Deigo digging into his piece of cake, more of it on his forehead than in his mouth.

This was going to be a long day.

* * *

After cake and presents, pin the tail on the donkey had begun. Chad and Taylor's kid, Dylan, had also joined in. He was five as well as Deigo, and had a little brother on the way. Taylor was due in a month. Deigo jumped around in circles, his tail spinning with him as Troy set up the cheap donkey he had bought. Soon, all the kids were lined up and Troy was tying the blindfold over Kessie's eyes and spinning her in circles. When she stopped spinning, she wobbled for a minute, trying to regain her balance. Then she went after the donkey. After minutes of Gabriella trying to lead her without giving much away, she pinned the tail right where it belonged; on the donkey's butt. 

"Weha!" She said as soon as she saw where she had placed it. She then ran over and sat on Gabriella's lap while Troy tied the blindfold around Luke's eyes. He was Kelsi and Ryan's son, along with his twin sister, Samantha. Each kid tried out, including Danielle, Sharpay's and Zekes daughter. Finally, it was Deigo's turn, and he was going for it.

"OUCH!" Came the yell a few seconds later. Deigo took the blindfold off his eyes. he had hit A mark, but not the right one. Seconds later, Troy was pulling the tail from his back end.

"Why do they make the darn pins on these things so long!" Everyone started laughing.

* * *

The day was finally over, and Troy and Gabriella were sitting on the couch, having finally gotten Kessie and Deigo to bed. Troy groaned as he rubbed the sore spot on his bottom where he had been tailed. 

"Still sore?" Gabriella asked with a hint of a grin on her face.

"Yup." The two sat in silence, each drfowning in their own thoughts.

"So, we gonna try to grant Kessie's wish?" Troy wiggled his eyebrow's suggestivly at Gabriella. She reached over and slapped him playfully, laughing quietly.

"You are such a doof."

* * *

I am sorry I didn't make her pregnant, but this chapter would have been better if she wasn't. Well, wish or no wish? Will try to update soon, but no promises. Remember, REVIEWS make me tyoe faster. And come on, it only takes a second. 

PLEASE REVIEW!


	7. Will Baby Make Five?

Well, here is another chapter. I am glad that people enjoyed the last one. I know many, many people are going to be mad at me throughout the nexrt few chapters, but that is why I write fanfiction. I like to make people cry, laugh, be mad, or happy. I hope I can add a few of those emotions into this chapter.

P.S. I do not have a beta, all mistakes are mine.

* * *

**Two Months Later**

Gabriella smiled as she sat with Zach, one of the kids she was teaching to sing. He had been taking private lessons after school, because his dad did not want him to sing, so he had to do it secertly. His cover story was that he had extra Math lessons after school.

"Zach, would you please sing this next line to me?" He nodded and took the sheat from Gabriella, scanning the paper. Each line was colored a different color, and each meant a different thing. He started singing, words of meaning flowing freely from his mouth. As soon as he was done, Gabriella smiled.

"Great! Wel-" Gabriella suddenly doubled over, grabbing her stomach in pain. Zach was at her side in seconds, helping her lay on the floor.

"Mrs. Bolton! What's wrong?" When she didn't answer, Zach ran to the phone on the far wall and picked it up, dialing 911 with shakey fingers. When the opperater picked up, he started talking. "My music teacher...something's wrong..."

"Calm down. Now, please tell me where you are at." Zach rattled off the address of the school and hung up, running back to Gabriella's side. She had passed out by now.

* * *

Zach was sitting in the ER waiting room, nervously picking at his song sheet. He was pulled from his thoughts when a man entered the ER with two kids. He smiled a little when he realized that it was the Boltons. 

"Zach, where is Gabriella?"

"She is with the doctors. They told me to wait here."

"Thank you. Um...would you watch Kessie and Deigo for a minute?" Zach nodded and took the sleeping girl from Mr. Boltonwhille Deigo sat beside him. Troy then walked up to the front desk and knocked on the glass. The desk clerk poked her head out from under the table. She had been, apearently, looking for something.

"I'm looking for Gabriella Bolton."

"Gabriella...Oh, here we are. She is in room ten. Of what relation are you? Only immedatly family is aloud to see her."

"I am her husband."

"OK. Would you please follow me?" Troy nodded and quickly took Kessie from Zach, Deigo following him. He promised that he would let Zach see Gabriella as soon as he was allowed to and then went with the nurse. Soon, he entered a large room with three beds in it. Gabriella was in the middle one, the other two empty. She had an IV in her arm, but besides that, she was awake and looked fine.

"Mommy!" Deigo ran over, hoding onto the side of the bed and trying to climb up. After several failed attempts, he just sat on the floor, arms crossed across his chest. Troy laughed and walked over, picking him up after handing Kessie to Gabriella.

"So, whats wrong?" Troy asked Gabriella. She just smiled a little and turned to the doctor.

"Could I have a minute with my family?" She nodded and left, placing Gabriella's chart back onm the end of the bed before walking out. Gabriella then turned to Kessie. "Your wish came true." Kessie frowned for a second, trying to remember a wish. Troy understood immedatly. He jumped up.

"Yahoo!" Grabbing Gabriella, he pulled her into a hug.

"Wat wis?" Kessie asked.

"Your going to have a baby brother or sister soon." Kessie grinned, bouncing up and down on the bed. The family talked for a while more before the doctor came back in and asked to talk to Troy and Gabriella. Kessie had fallen asleep again, and Deigo was sitting on one of the other beds, playing with a toy truck Troy had brought him.

"I need to go over the risks and negatives of this pregnancy." Gabriella nodded, a worried look on her face. "First, you are not to get out of bed accept to go to the restroom. _Complete _bed rest. Second, you will be taking several drugs to help you maintain this pregnancy."

"Will they hurt the baby?" Gabriella asked.

"No. Your main worry with be the umbilicalcord. With Kessie, food andother necesitieswere not getting through the cord for some reason, that is why we had to induce labor at seven months.With you on bedrest, the drugs will help relax the cord and let blood andfood flow through freely. Again, we are going to have to induce labor at six or seven months, we will fight to get the baby to seven months, but I do not think it is going to happen. But 60 percentof baby's born at six and a half months will survive with only minor, or major, lung conditions." The doctor stopped talking to let Gabriella and Troy take all the information in.

"What about the baby's lungs? When Kessie was born, she was put on a ventilator, and the pressure of the oxygen flowing through her weak lungs almost ripped them open." Troy asked, recalling the memory.

"Well, the drug that we gave to Kessie was expermental, like we told you, but it proved to be such a success, we tried it on other premature baby's, with the parents OK, or coarse. But it was approved and it is now given to all premature baby's. A good 70 percent of all baby's who take it, have a good chance of their lungs being OK." The doctor paused to take a breath. "Another problem. With Kessie, throughout your first two months, you had serious nausa problems, thus making it hard to keep food down. This new baby is going to be very weak if it does not get the right amountfood, and we want it as strong as possible because it is going to be premature. We might have to feed you through a feeding tube, which will improve your chances of keeping food down. If it does not, we will admit you to the hospital, and directly feed the baby through a tube we will insert by means of going in like we would a cathter tube. We will hook it to the umbilical cord and feedthe babydirectly. Any questions so far?"

"If that does happen, how long will I be in the hospital?" Gabriella asked, trying to remember everything the doctor had told them so far.

"Until the nausa is gone. When you enter your second trimester, your chances of a miscarrige are going to go down, but it is still possible that you will go into premature labor. If you start to have contractions, come in and we will place a cerclage at the entrance of your cervix. The purpose of this would be to keep most of the baby's weight off of your cervix, therefore making your chaces of carrying later into term better." He smiled at them. "Questions?"

"Nope...wait, one. Will the cerclage hurt?"

"A little at first, but it should go away." Gabriella nodded. "Now, when you are releaced, I am going to show you how to use the medications and I want you to go home, and get in bed. And stay there. You will have all meals in bed if possible, as well."

"So I turn into a blimp from lack of exersize?" Gabriella joked.

"Probably not, because it is unlikely that you will be able to keep a lot of that food down. Now, could I do an untrasound?"

"Sure. By the way, how far along am I?"

"That is what I am going to be finding out." Soon, it was determined that Gabriella was almost three weeks along. Only five and a half months to go. Six, if she was lucky.

* * *

Well, your wish is my command. Gabriella is pregnant. Hope you like.

PLEASE REVIEW!


	8. Hope Gabriella Bolton

Next chapter! I am not sure I got all medical information right, but I am hoping I did. My BF's little brother was premature, so I learned a little from that, but I do not remember it all. I know only a little about premature baby's, so the rest is guesswork.

**P.S.** I have no beta, all mistakes are mine.

* * *

Gabriella groaned as she threw up into the bowl Troy held under her chin. She was on complete bed rest; which meant no running to the bathroom. Soon, she was finished and she rolled over on her stomach. This was her worst pregnancy yet. But she would do anything for her baby. Troy sat back against the bedpost. The nausea came back on average five times in thirty minutes, so he knew not to leave for at least an hour. Kessie and Deigo were out on the couch, watching 'Ice Age' with Ryan and his twins. He had come over to watch Kessie and Deigo because Gabriella couldn't get out of bed, and Troy was dead from teaching school and trying to watch two kids under six for three weeks. Gabriella was now a month and a half pregnant.  
"So what about names?" Troy asked out of the blue. 

"Girl or boy?"

"Both."

"Well, for a girl, I like Katie.For a boy, I like either Cole, or Kyte, or Kobe." Gabriella smiled. She had been thinking a lot about names in the past three weeks. No, she had been thinking a lot. Period. Except when she was reading or watching TV, she was thinking. There was nothing else to do.

"I like Kyte pretty good, but I love the name Cole."

"Well, I like Cameron, too. And Catlin. And Cassie, Kit, Casey, and a lot more. I can be reasoned with." Troy laughed.

"What is it with you and K and C names?"

"I dunno." Suddenly, Gabriella grinned insanely. "Troy, I want Ice Cream and Tuna."

"Please..." Troy said, knowing it was going to be worse than when she was pregnant with Kessie and Deigo.

"Together." Troy groaned, throwing his head back against the headboard.

"Can you be reasoned with about that?"

"No."

* * *

"Dude, what is that?" Ryan asked as Troy walked back into the bedroom, carrying a bowl of Chocolate Ice Cream and Tuna.

"Don't ask."

"Well, believe me, I know. When Kelsi was Pregnant with Sam and Luke, it was worse. Once, she wanted Mint Ice Cream with fish fins." Ryan shuddered and Troy laughed. This was going to be a long five months.

* * *

Gabriella sat on the couch at her mom's house. Troy had to work that day, and he couldn't call in sick; he had used up all of his sick days. Kessie was at Ryan's playing with Samantha because Troy had been letting her choose where she wanted to stay while he was working. She seemed to like Samantha the most, but since Danielle was closer to her age, Troy didn't know why. 

"Mom?" Gabriella called into the next room.

"Yes, dear?" Ms. Montez poked her head out of the kitchen. Her face was covered in flour, so it looked like a bag of flour had exploded in her face. Gabriella started laughing. Suddenly, a pain ripped through her stomach. Grabbing her middle, she bent over, trying to hold back tears.

"Gabi? What's wrong?" Ms. Montez was at her side in seconds. Gabriella sat up as the pain passed.

"It f-felt like...a contraction."

"But it can't be, your only at three months!" Ms. Montez said worriedly.

"I know, mom!" Gabriella winced as another pain ripped through her stomach. "Would you call Troy?" Ms. Montez nodded, picking her cell phone up as she helped Gabriella out to the car. They were going to the hospital.

In the car, Gabriella had several more contractions, and by the time they arrived at the ER, the contractions were only minutes apart. Two nurses rushed her into one of the exam rooms and called an OB while they gave her drugs to help stop labor. Dr. Malone arrived minutes later. He was not their normal OB, but Gabriella was willing to shoot for anything at the moment.

"What seems to be the problem?" He asked as he immediately started his exam.

"Contraction!" Gabriella yelled as another one hit her. The doctor reminded her to breathe as he pulled out the ultrasound machine. Starting it up, he squirted the gel on Gabriella's stomach and started looking around. One of the other nurses checked how far along Gabriella was.

"She's at six CM." The OB cursed under his breath and put away the machine.

"Your baby is in distress. The cord it wrapped around his throat. We normally don't see this in women only three months along, because the baby has not started moving. Gabriella, I am afraid if we do not deliver the baby, it will die."

"But if you do deliver it, it'll die too!" Gabriella screamed. She wasn't about to give up on the baby yet. "There has to be another way!"

"The baby isn't moving much. I don't think there is any way short of surgery that we can get it unhooked." The OB said.

"Surgery?" Gabriella gasped.

"We have yet to be successful in a woman of your age. And not for these reasons. We normally to the surgery to repair broken or damaged umbilical cords, or help the baby receive more of the necessities."

"But it is possible?" Gabriella said. She was crying now. Both from the pain of labor and the thought of losing the baby she had wanted so badly.

"It might be. But I highly advise against it. We can't do the surgery if we can't stop the labor, and stopping labor will take to long; the cord will have killed the baby. The only option we have at this point it to deliver."Gabriella choked on a sob. She had imagined many things happening, but never something like this. She was being asked to kill her baby.

"But my baby will die."

"I am sorry."

"Can we hold labor off until my husband arrives?" Gabriella asked. She knew it would hurt Troy to much if he didn't at least get to say good-bye.

"Possibly." Ten minutes later, Troy came flying through the door. He ran up to Gabriella and the OB explained the situation.

"Deliver? But Gabi's only at three months. The baby will die!"

"We can't do anything else. The baby has to be delivered as soon as possible." Five minutes later, Gabriella was told to start pushing. It barely hurt at all, and within seconds, the baby was born. Gabriella heard the tiniest of whimpers from below. When the doctor came up, she couldn't even see the babyin his cupped hands, it was so small. The doctor spoke.

"About three inches long, not even close to weighing a poind. I see no signs of a penis, which normally starts to form within seven weeks, so it's a girl." The doctor said. Troy cut the cord with shaking hands. "I don't think she is going to live long, so you should probably say good-bye." He wrapped the tiny baby in a soft paper towel, for nothing else was small enough. Troy took the little girl with shaking hands. She was barely breathing, and Troy knew they had only minutes. She fit in the palm of his hands.

"Can I see her?" Gabriella asked through her tears. Troy nodded and laid the baby into Gabriella's waiting arms. "She's so small..." And she was. She was not fully formed, but Gabriella thought she was the most beautiful thing in the world. Her fingers grasped Gabriella's own, though she could barely feel it. Troy motioned to the doctor.

"Could we get a picture? We would like to have something to show her siblings and to remember her by." The doctor nodded and Troy went to stand by Gabriella. The doctor took a camera out of a drawer and moved closer to Troy and Gabriella, so the baby would be in the picture as well. Once the picture was taken, he handed it to Troy. It was an instant one, and it was ready immediately.

"What do you want to call her?" Troy asked Gabriella, who was still holding the baby.

"Hope." Troy nodded. It fit the situation very well. "She gave us hope."

"So Hope Gabriella Bolton." Gabriella nodded. Troy looked down. Her chest wasn't moving anymore. Letting his head drop to his chest, he cried. His little baby girl was gone.

"I love you," Gabriella whispered.

* * *

**  
One Week Later**

Gabriella clutched the white flowers in her hand. They were going to bury Hope at a place made specially for baby's that had died before their family's were able to say hello. Hope was being buried right by Troy's little sister, Abagail Marie. She had been born at six months, and had not lived for more than two hours. Soon, the service was over and people went to drop the flowers. Kessie was dressed in a black dress, and was holding a small bouquet she had made from the flowers in Ms. Montez's flower garden.

Troy and Gabriella stayed at the grave of their baby for just a minute longer than everyone else. Deigo and Kessie had ran ahead with Ms. montez. Dropping to his knees beside the grave,Troy cried. Gabriella sat beside him, placing the tiny while flowers at the head of the gravestone. After about five minutes, they left. The wind started blowing, the white flowers scattering everywhere. The engraving on the stone was now clear.

"Hope Gabriella Bolton. Born 3/8/08, Died 3/8/08. Though we never knew you, you will always be in out hearts."

* * *

Well, I think I made myself cry. What do you think? Should I run for cover? Are people going to hurt me? 

PLEASE REVIEW and tell me what you think.


	9. Tears, Trials and Thoughts Of The Past

I am SO glad that people don't want to kill me! This will get better. Probably in this chapter even. And I am going to be writing a story soon, and in it is going to be a runaway little girl. Now, I am at lose for names. ANY suggestions would be great! Expect to see it up in a few days! It will be called Everyone Deserves a Second Chance.

**P.S.** I have not beta, all mistakes are mine.

* * *

Kessie sat down on the couch beside her mommy. She was crying again, clutching the picture of the tiny baby in her hands. Kessie hugged her mom, comforting her in a way only a two-year-old can do. Gabriella looked up and smiled.  
"Would you like to see your sister?" Kessie nodded and settled into Gabriella's side. She had seen her before, but she would never get tired of seeing Hope. She was her birthday wish. Gabriella handed the picture to Kessie. She smiled, a few tears leaking from her tiny blue eyes. Rubbing her chubby hand over the picture, she smiled up at Gabriella.

"Mommy? Is Hwope in Hweavn?" She asked, rubbing the tears from her sleepy eyes.

"Yea, sweetie, she is." Gabriella hugged Kessie to her chest and cried, her hand going to her stomach. She cried harder as she tried to break the habit she had developed during the time she was pregnant. She then knew that there was a little life in there, now, there was nothing. Suddenly, Diego walked into the room.

"Mommy?"

"Yes?"

"Why are you crying?" He walked over and hopped up onto the couch on the other side of Gabriella.

"Because I am sad. I am sad about your baby sister." Diego nodded, trying to hold back tears of his own. Gabriella hugged him as well. Children this age weren't supposed to feel such pain. It all went over their heads. But Diego and Kessie had been through a lot, a lot more than other children. Before Kessie, Diego had a baby brother who died because he was delivered at five months. His name had been Jesson. Hope's death had hit Gabriella harder then Jesson, because she had gone through the pain before, and desperately didn't want to go through it again. Picking the photo album from the drawer beside the couch, Gabriella placed Hope's picture beside Jesson's.

"Come on, kids. Lets go make cookies." Gabriella tried to lighten the mood. But she knew that Kessie and Deigo would never get over Hope's death. Just like Diego was still healing from Jesson's death. He had been three at the time, and still remembered it well.

_**Two years ago  
**_  
_Diego was running wild through the house as Gabriella tried to cal him. Just as she chased him into the bathroom, a sharp pain ran through her stomach and back. Dropping to the floor, she called Diego in. He had come five minutes later, not knowing what was going on. Gabriella told him to grab the phone and a pillow for, as well as one of his blankets. She had had six contractions in the last five minutes, and she knew that she wasn't going to make it anywhere if they were real. If they were braxon hicks, she was fine, but it sure didn't feel like it. Soon, Diego ran back with a pillow, his favorite baby blanket, and the cell phone. She and Troy still had yet to get a real one. Placing the pillow behind her head, she instructed Diego to get a bucket of water and a pair of scissors._

As she looked at the phone, the two words flashing back at her cut through her like a knife. NO SERVICE. She was going to have to have the baby right then and there. She knew it wouldn't live. Trying desperately to hold back the contractions, Gabriella did not push. Soon, there was no choice.

"Diego, when the baby is out, cut the cord by it's stomach and place it on the blanket, then hand it to me, carefully." She only hoped he knew how to do it all. The scared look on Diego's face as he wiped at tears was something Gabriella would never forget. Soon, a quiet crying entered the room. Diego did as his mom instructed, holding the baby and cutting the cord with shaky hands. He then placed the baby into the blanket and handed it to his mom. He thought he had done everything right.

"Thank you. Now, please get your shoes on and get out to the car." Diego ran off, blood still all over his hands. Gabriella got up, despite the pain, and walked to the car. She put Diego into the front seat and made him hold the baby. It was a boy. When they arrived at the hospital, Diego was taken off by one of the nurses and Gabriella was taken to the emergency room, the baby to the NICU.

The news came ten minutes later. Diego had accidentally cut the baby's skin while cutting the umbilical cord. Because of all of the other blood, he didn't realize he had at all. The baby's skin was to thin, and as he moved around, he ripped it further, soon killing himself because he wouldn't hold still, and sedative in a baby could be deadly. Gabriella didn't even get to say good-bye.

When she told Diego, he blamed himself. He was three, and didn't talk for months because of what he had done. The doctors reassured him and Gabriella that the baby would have died anyway. He wasn't strong enough to breathe on his own, and the ventilator would have ripped his lungs apart. Finally giving in, Troy and Gabriella went to see someone with Diego. They all got family therapy, and soon, Gabriella became pregnant with Kessie. Diego was so happy the day that she was born. He got to hold her even before Troy. The both felt it would help his healing.

_**Present Time**_

Baby Jesson Michael Bolton was born 3/8/05. That was the reason Hope's death hit everyone, especially Diego, so hard. Hope Gabriella Bolton was born the exact same day that Jesson was.

* * *

Troy walked into the house, expecting to see Kessie and Diego playing quietly in the corner, and Gabriella crying. That was how it was everyday. But instead, he was hit straight in the face with a handful of flour. The room went silent as Deigo looked at the ground. Kessie started hiccuping and Gabriella screamed, saying she was burning the cookies. Troy laughed. Reaching over, he grabbed Diego and spun him in circles.

"I wan to dada!" Troy smiled and picked up Kessie after putting Diego down.

"Weeee!" They all smiled. It was a good life.

* * *

Gabriella stared at the tiny stick. No. It couldn't be. She didn't want it to be. Not again, she couldn't do it again. First Jesson, then Hope, not again. The one word stared her back in the face as she collapsed to the floor of the bathroom, crying.

POSITIVE

* * *

Weeell, I am thinking most people won't care much for this chapter, but that event in Diego's life is going to shape who he is.

PLEASE REVIEW and give me your thoughts.  



	10. A Little Life

I have many, many people waiting Gabriella carrying to term. I am sorry that I can't make that happen, but I do not think I will kill the baby. You will have to read the chapter to find out.

Well, I am sorry for not updating, but I have had to tutor some kids at Daniel's school. The kids I am tutoring need it, or they will not pass their end of the year exams. And I don't want that to happen. Well, I am going to update as much as possible, but no promises.

**BIG P.S! The NICU is the baby Intensive Care Unit.**

**P.S.** I do not have a beta, all mistakes are mine.

* * *

Gabriella ran to the bathroom, leaning over the toilet and throwing up. Deigo, who was standing in the doorway, spoke up. 

"Mommy? Are ywou sick?" Gabriella finished and stood up, flushing the toilet and smiling at Diego. She was tired, and felt like crap.

"Yea, I am. Hey, Diego? Will you watch Kessie for a while? I am going to take a nap." Diego nodded, and briefly hugging him mom, ran out of the room. Gabriella walked back into her and Troy's room and collapsed onto the bed, sighing. She had known about the baby for a week, and still had to tell Troy. She was planning on telling him when he got home that night. And she was not going to tell Kessie or Diego until she knew she was out of the danger of a miscarriage. She didn't think they could handle another lost sibling. Slowly drifting into sleep, she imagined life with Jesson and Hope, wishing they were there.

* * *

"I'm home!" Came the happy yell two hours later. Diego ran up to his dad, hugging him. He was not used to not having his dad around all day. He was usually in school with Troy, but he had caught the flu a few days earlier, and Gabriella refused to let him go to school. Kessie had just caught the flue that day, and was sleeping in her room. 

"Daddy!" Troy smiled and picked Diego up, expecting Kessie to run up to him next. Gabriella walked into the living room, crying her hands on a cup towel as she did.

"Kessie is sleeping, she caught Diego's flu." Troy nodded, placing Diego on the floor and walking over to Gabriella, hugging her briefly before wandering into the kitchen, sniffing the pots on the stove. Gabriella grinned, gently slapping Troy on the arm. "You to boys. Into the living room until dinner." Troy sulked all the way out, playfully, and picked up Diego, running to the couch and turning on the TV, turning it to the Basketball game on TNT. Sighing and shaking her head, Gabriella walked back into the kitchen to finish dinner.

A few hours later, Gabriella was walking into Kessie's room, carrying a tray of food for the little girl. The flu had hit her much harder than everyone else, and she didn't even want to get up from bed. When she saw he mom, Kessie smiled and sat up in the bright pink bed. Gabriella handed her a sippycup of pulp free orange juice. She took it gladly and sucked on it, grabbing a piece of chicken off of the tray and sticking it in her mouth.

"Hey, hows my little girl doing?" Gabriella wiped Kessie's sweaty hair off her forehead and leaned her cheek up against it. He fever seemed to be holding; she wasn't getting hotter.

"Bwad." Kessie said, nearly chocking on her juice as a coughing fit hit her. Gabriella smiled and hugged her before wrapping a pink comforter around her shaking body. Kessie leaned back on her pillows, holding her purple Teddy, the kind you can draw on, then wash and re-draw.

"I'm sorry sweetie. Would you like to come out and watch Bambi?" She knew the boys wouldn't like it, but Kessie adored Bambi, and when Diego was sick, he got to choose the movies, so why not Kessie.

"Ywea!" Gabriella nodded and walked back out, telling Kessie she would be right back, as soon as she set up a place for Kessie to lay. Walking out into the living room, Gabriella stuck out the recliner, placing Kessie's butterfly blanket on it, along with a small pillow. Placing the tray of food on the table beside the recliner, she walked back into Kessie's room, picking her from the midst of Teddy bears.

"I wach Bammi!" Kessie said happily, laying her head on Gabriella's shoulder. Once in the living room, she laid Kessie under the blanket, letting her stretch out on the chair.

"No!" Diego said, running in front of the TV. "No Bammi! Uh... I mean Bambi." Troy laughed.

"Diego, you got to watch _Buzz light year In Star Command_ a hundred times when you were sick. Let your sister wach Bambi." Just as he finished saying it, Gabriella reappeared with a thermometer, sticking it in Kessie's ear. It beeped in seconds, telling Gabriella that she had a high grade fever.

"102.5."

"Ouch." Said Troy. "Let me go get some kids flu medicine." Soon, Bambi was playng, Diego was sulking, Troy was reading a magazine, and Gabriella was fussing over Kessie because he fever was going up. It was a long day.

* * *

Finally, Diego and Kessie were in bed, and Gabriella was trying to work up the nerve to tell Troy about the baby. 

"Gabi, what's wrong?"

"Huh?"

"You look like something is bothering you. What is it?" Gabriella took a deep breath.

"Troy, I'm pregnant." His face showed no sign of anything for a minute, then he started grinning.

"Huh, now what are the chances of that? This is great!"He grabbed the phone next to the bed and started dialing.

"Who are you calling?" Gabriella asked, afraid he was going to tell the whole world about the baby.

"The doctor. I am going to get an appointment for tomorrow." Gabriella sighed in relief and laid back on the bed.

* * *

**  
Five months later  
**  
Gabriella groaned. Kessie was sick for the third time since she had told Troy that she was pregnant. Smiling, she moved Kessie's sweaty hair out of her face. Kessie started coughing and yawning. Finally falling asleep, Gabriella slowly walked out of the bedroom, closing the door behind her, trying not to wake Kessie. 

"Diego, be quiet and try not to wake Kessie." She then slipped off into the kitchen, quietly working on Diego's cake, his birthday was tomorrow. Smiling, she mixed it all together and poured in into a bowl. As she was about to put it into the oven, a sharp pain ripped through her stomach. It was a contraction. Quickly adding the time up in her head, she realized she was almost seven months pregnant. The baby would be OK. Calling Troy, she told him and then packed her and the kids in the car, driving to the hospital.

Five hours later, she was ready to deliver. The doctors had a nurse from the NICU waiting.

"Gabriella, when I tell you to, place your chin against yous chest and push until I tell you to stop." He waited until the next contraction hit. "Push! One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten and you can stop." Gabriella did. It didn't hurt to badly, not nearly as bad as when she delivered Diego (He was carried to full term), but it hurt enough.

"Your doing great." Troy said happily, gripping her hand. Diego and Kessie sat in chairs, beside Troy. They had wanted to be there for the birth of their sibling. They had yet to find out of it was a boy or a girl.

"OK, Gabriella, push again. One, two three, it's crowning!" Soon, a small cry filled the room. "It's a boy!" A loud shriek from Diego. "Troy, would you like to cut the cord?" He nodded and cut it, his hands shaking. They whisked the baby off and weighed, measured, and cleaned it. "Three pounds, five ounces, and ten inches. You can hold him for a minute before we bring him to the NICU." He handed the tiny baby to Gabriella. She smiled. He looked very healthy, and was loud enough.

"What do you want to name him?" They had yet to discuss names, because it would hurt to much to hope they would ever see this day.

"Cole Nathanael Bolton." Gabriella announced. Kessie sneezed, breaking the perfect moment. Gabriella laughed as Cole was taken to the NICU.

* * *

Well, what do you think? And what do you think of his name? I hope you like. 

**PLEASE REVIEW** and tell me what you think.


	11. Not Breathing

Well, some people like the name Cole, others not. I like it, however, and if there are any more kids in this story, you will have to live with my names. :-) Surprises in this chapter. And the only reason I use the WAY over used thing, is because it will cause problems for the family.

Oh, and here I am going to put all the names for the Bolton kids. I have not given them all middle names.

Diego Jerod Bolton -- **5**  
Jesson Michael Bolton --**2 1/2** (Would Be)  
Kessie Ann Bolton --** 2  
**Hope Gabriella Bolton -- **9 mo.** (Would Be)  
Cole Nathanael Bolton -- **Just Born**

**P.S.** I have no beta, all mistakes are mine.

* * *

Gabriella laid her head back on her pillows. Cole had been taken up to the NICU only minutes ago, and they were waiting for news on him. Troy was sitting with Kessie on his lap, sleeping. Diego was happily bouncing up and down on the seat next to Troy. Suddenly, Troy spoke up.  
"Doctor? Isn't three pounds a little...well, little for seven months?" Dr. Dalt turned around. She had come in minutes ago to clean up Gabriella. 

"Usually we see four pounds or more in extremely healthy baby's, and Gabriella's should have been. We fed Cole directly through feeding tubes for two months, then Gabriella ate very healthy for the remainder of her pregnancy. I admit, Cole should be a little bigger. We usually see small baby's if they were not fed right, or..." She trailed off, walking over and turning the fetal monitor back on. It was used to measure the baby's vitals during labor. They had turned it off the second Cole was born. Dr. Dalt gasped. She ran over to the phone and dialed a number quickly.

"Whats wrong?" Gabriella asked. No answer.

"Dr. Benton, please, in the NICU." A second later she started talking again. "Yea, I need you down here...yes right now! She is going to have another baby!" Dr. Dalt hung up the phone and walked back to Gabriella, getting her ready for delivery again. Everyone was in panic. When Troy stood suddenly, he woke Kessie, who was wondering what was going on.

"Another baby?" Gabriella asked, just realizing the pain in her stomach for the last ten minutes were contractions. She had thought they were just pain from the birth of Cole.

"Yes. I just realized you are having twins. If you hadn't asked about the size of Cole, I wouldn't have thought to check for twins. Well, looks like you are going to have a forth member of the family." She smiled and patted Gabriella on the arm.

"Awnoer baby?" Kessie asked. "A gwirl?"

"We don't know, honey." Troy said, still in shock. Soon, Dr. Benton had arrived. He smiled and walked over to Gabriella.

"Hello, Gabi. Cole is doing great. Which has me worried, in a way. I think it best I tell you now, because I don't want it to be a surprise. Twins really need to be carried to full term, and I do not know why we did not see this baby before. If we had, we would have admitted you to the hospital, and induced a coma, so you would have no body activity, and chances are, you would have carried to at least eight months. Now, when we see early twins, either both are a little weak, or one is extremely weak. I think it is fair to tell you. This baby will probably be to weak to survive. We didn't know about it, so we couldn't feed it directly, and Cole got all of the nutrition."

"But there is a chance it will survive?" Gabriella asked, trying to hold back tears. She couldn't lose another baby, she just couldn't.

"Yes. Now, almost time to push." Soon, Gabriella was pushing. She barely felt the baby slip out. Dr Benton cut the cord himself and weighed and measured the baby before placing it in an isolated bed. "One pound, two ounces, five inches long. It's a boy." He then proceed to give the baby to another doctor to take up to the NICU, knowing he had to hurry if this baby was going to have any chance at life. Gabriella turned to Troy as the doctor watched the monitor for signs of another baby, although it was unlikely.

"Oh, my God. Gabriella, you need to get ready to push again."

"What the heck?" She asked. "Another?"

"Yes, push now!" Soon, their third baby was born. The doctor let Troy cut the cord and then took the baby away. Soon, it was inti bated, letting the machine do it's breathing. "Two pounds, four ounces, seven inches. It's another boy." The fetal machine hooked up to Gabriella showed no more signs of life. Triplets.

* * *

Ten minutes late, Gabriella was cleaned up and resting. Her and Troy were trying to think up names for the other two boys. Diego was screeching with happiness. Three more boys!  
"How about Caleb Josiah?" Gabriella suggested. 

"I like that. Caleb Josiah Bolton. For which boy?"

"The second one." Gabriella said. They thought for a few more minutes, Troy finally thinking of a name.

"Caden Dominic." Gabriella smiled. They had three kids. One very healthy, and two not so much.

"Great. We have Cole Nathanael, Caleb Josiah and Caden Dominic. You do realize that all of their names start with C?" Troy nodded. Kessie was sleeping again, not aware that she now had four brothers instead of only two. Diego was running in circles now.

"We can call them Cole, Cab and Cade!" He said, laughing happily. Gabriella and Troy laughed as well.

"He seems happy." Troy observed, only making Gabriella laugh harder.

"Yea, he does, doesn't he?"

* * *

Two hours later, Gabriella had been moved to a private room and they were talking with a neonataglist.  
"So why couldn't you tell that I was pregnant with Caden and Caleb?" They had called the NICU to tell them the children's names, so they would stop calling the baby's baby Bolton 1, Baby Bolton 2 and Baby Bolton 3. 

"They were extremely small, and we couldn't see them all because Cole was so much bigger than the other two. It was just chance that he was the one that got the feeding tube." The doctor explained. Her name was Dr. Sanders. Gabriella felt as though she knew every single one of the nurses and doctors in the hospital. She had been there so many times.

"What are their chances of living?" Troy asked. He was afraid of the answer, but he had to know. If he was going to lose another baby, he wanted to know.

"Cole has a fifty percent chance. I will put Caden at thirty percent, but I put Caleb at no more than ten." Gabriella started crying. Looking up, she forced a smile.

"Could I call my mom?" Troy would have called his parents, but they were on vacation and couldn't be reached.

"Sure. I will get you a portable phone so you don't have to get up." Dr. Sanders smiled and stood, coming back in two minutes later and handing Gabriella the phone. She dialed with shaking fingers. Her mom picked up on the third ring.

"Hello?"

"Hi, mom, it's me."

"Hi, Gabriella. How are you?" She didn't even know that Gabriella had gone into labor.

"Good. Mom, I'm in the hospital. I had the baby." She didn't want to dump it on her mom just yet that she had, in fact, had three.

"Really? Girl or boy?"

"Boy." Gabriella smiled at her mom's excitement.

"Is he healthy?"

"Sorta. Mom, I had more than one baby." Gabriella braced herself.

"Really? Twins? Your father was a twin, so it runs in the family.

"No, mom, I had triplets." There was a shocked silence on the other end as Ms. Montez tried to take it all in. Three?

"All boys?" She asked numbly.

"Yes. We named them Cole Nathanael, Caleb Josiah, and Caden Dominic."

"All healthy?" Her mom was full of questions. Gabriella prepared herself for giving her mom the bad news. She knew her mom would be sad, just as she was. Poor Caleb almost had no chance to live.

"Cole is very healthy, considering, Caden has a thirty percent chance of living, but Caleb has only a ten percent chance." Gabriella started crying again. If she lost another baby, she didn't know what she would do. She wouldn't be able to handle it, Kessie and Diego wouldn't be able to handle it. And Troy wouldn't be able to handle it. He had gone through the pain of losing a sister when he was seven, the pain of losing his second son, and the pain of losing his second daughter.

"I will be right over." Gabriella said a quick good-bye and hung up, turning to Troy.

"Would you go see if we can see the boy's yet?" Troy nodded, kissing Gabriella on the cheek as he walked out.

He came back ten minutes later. They could see the baby's, but Gabriella had to go in a wheelchair. Kessie and Diego had to stay with the nurses, too. Soon, they were outside the NICU, waiting to see their children. As soon as they walked in, they were shown to the corner that the three Bolton boy's occupied. Gabriella smiled upon seeing the baby's. Cole was a feisty one, moving around in his little bed like there was no tomorrow. Caden was happily moving around a little, enough, but only a little. Caleb was just laying there, not doing anything. They were all fully formed, but tiny.

"Their so small." Troy said. He reached out and touched Caleb's leg. He reacted by pulling his leg back and grabbed it with one of his hands. Troy laughed. They watched the boys for a while more. Just as they were about to leave, Troy noticed something.

"Doctor!" He yelled. "Caleb isn't breathing!"

* * *

Well, what I meant by WAY overused, it the twin and triplet thing. EVERYONE has twins or triplets. And I stress my reasons. I only used it because if it was only one baby, it would have been fine without a problem, and I like making my readers wait at the edge of their chairs. Oh, how do you like the others names? 

**PLEASE REVIEW** and tell me what you think.


	12. Caleb's Problem

Well, people want all of the kids to live, so I will see what I can do. No promises, though. I think that my favorite of the baby's would be Caleb. I don't know why, but he has grown on me as I have been writing this fic. I hope you all like what I am going to do. I think you will.

**P.S.** I have no beta, all mistakes are mine.

* * *

Gabriella gripped Troy's hand hard as she was pushed away from Caleb's cubical. They worked hard and fast, trying to save little Caleb. Tears were slipping down her eye's as she watched Caden and Cole turn their heads to all of the noise. They were only going to be awake for a small amount of time. The doctors were going to give them medicine to help reduce the pain in their body's from the many tests that were going to have go be run.  
"What's going on?" Gabriella asked frantically. There was no answer. The loud beeping from Caleb's machine quieted down as the doctors began to slow their work. One of the four leaning over the crib walked up to Troy and Gabriella. 

"He is OK for now, but we fear that is not going to last long. We have put him into an induced coma to prevent bleeding in the brain from serious activity. He is breathing on an oxygen mask, and his heart is pumping a little slow, but his Blood Pressure is not so good. Um, could we go outside to talk a little more?" They nodded, walking out and sitting in chairs, facing the doctor.

"What do we need to talk about?" Gabriella asked.

"Cole is doing much better with the medicines we gave him. We gave him steroids to strengthen his lungs, and I think in a few days, we can take him off the ventilator. Caden is also doing well, I will raise his chances to live up to forty percent. But Caleb has gone down. I would not put him at three or four percent." Gabriella began to cry. "And I know this is a though situation, but I need to talk to you about Cole and Caden."

"OK." Troy said, preparing himself for the worst.

"When baby's are born prematurely, we will place them in one of four category's. I am going to give you a paper, telling about all four. We are going to put Cole in group two, and Caden in three for now. If Caleb lives, he will most differently be in group four. I am sorry." She patted Gabriella on the shoulder and gave them a piece of paper. Gabriella scanned it with her eye's, wanting to know what kind of life her baby's were going to have. This is what the paper said:

**Group 1**. Children in the no handicap group have intelligence and physical abilities within the normal range, and they perform normally in school when they are older. Even in this group, however, children may be physically small or need to wear glasses to see well.

**Group 2**. Children in the mild handicap group have intelligence within the normal range, although it is usually somewhat below average. They also usually have some sort of problem that makes things difficult for them in school. Attention deficit disorder is a common example. Children with attention deficit disorder are easily distracted, and may be hyperactive. Other problems found in this group include learning disabilities, language problems, difficulty with math, and social/emotional issues. Many children in this group are also somewhat clumsy, but are able to do what they need to do. Some of these children will need special education in school.

**Group 3**. Children in the moderate handicap group have borderline intelligence that falls between "low normal" and mildly/mentally retarded, and also often have mild cerebral palsy. The mild cerebral palsy means these children have permanent difficulties with muscle control (such as awkward walking or difficulty with handwriting), need physical therapy, and usually begin to walk much later than most children. Vision may be somewhat impaired, even when using glasses. Most children in this group will need special education in school. Many children in this group will not be able to live independently as adults.

**Group 4**. Children in the severe handicap group are mentally retarded and/or have severe cerebral palsy, usually to a degree that keeps them from ever walking without assistance. Children in this group also tend to have the most serious problems with their vision. While blindness is quite rare, vision is often impaired enough to be a significant problem, even with the best possible glasses. Virtually all children in this group will need special education in school, and most will not be able to live independently as adults.

Gabriella began to cry harder. She wished this had never happened. What kind of lives were her children going to lead? Caleb would constantly need supervision, if he lived, and Caden would also need special help. Cole would also have special needs, but he would be able to lead a normal life. Troy wrapped his arms around her shoulders, trying to reassure her without words that it was going to be OK.

"Gabi, even if this does happen, we will get through it. We will get help for the baby's and they will lead near to normal lives. It'll be OK."

Gabriella wanted to believe him, she really did, but she knew she couldn't. Yes, they would get help for the baby's, they would get through it, but the baby's would not lead normal lives. They were going to need help for the rest of their lives.

* * *

**One Week Later**

Gabriella watched over the baby's. Cole was steadily gaining weight, as was Caden. Cole was not five pounds, and Caden was three pounds and two ounces. Caleb, on the other hand, was losing weight. He was now only one pound, and the doctors hadn't taken him out of the induced coma for fear he would have huge brain bleed the minute they did. Feeding him though a feeding tube wasn't helping either. He had constant diarrhea and was throwing up a lot. He couldn't keep food down. Finally, one week from birth, the doctors proposed something.

"I know this is hard, my son was born at six months, but we have an idea. Caleb isn't keeping food down, but I think breast feeding him would help. You have been feeding Cole and Caden, but not Caleb because he is in a coma. The other two baby's are healthy, because a premature has a ten percent better chance if their mom breast feeds them. We want to take Caleb from his coma and try breast feeding him." Gabriella thought about this for a moment.

"And it might help him get better?"

"Either way, if it does not, he is no better off than he is now." The doctor said gently.

"OK. We will try it." Gabriella walked to Caleb's crib and touched his leg. He was pale, and very thin. The doctors gave him the medicine to take him out of the coma. Now, all they had to do was wait. Gabriella was lost in her thoughts when Kessie latched onto her leg. She looked up to see her mom and Diego. Ms. Montez had been watching the two older kids because her and Troy had been with the boys at every possible second.

"Hi, baby." Gabriella lifted Kessie into her arms, letting her see the baby's.

"Baby!" Kessie yelled, causing the awake Cole to laugh. She smiled and looked at Caleb. "Mommy? Is Cab gone be 'K?"

"We don't know, sweetie. We are gonna try something very soon to get him better." Kessie nodded, reaching out to take Caden's hand. He recoiled, taking his hand from hers and sticking it in his mouth.

Soon, Caleb was awake. He was not crying, which was a bad sign. Silently he looked around. The doctors showed Gabriella how to feed him. After several tries, he got it.

"Now, normally, we don't let mothers breast feed their premature baby's until they are three and a half pounds are more, but Caleb is not getting better, and this is not any worse than letting him go without." Three days of it, and Caleb had gone over a pound again. He was still not doing good, the doctor had found a bleed in his brain, and said if it got much worse, little Caleb would die. He was much to small for surgery. Cole's chances had for survival had gone up to ninety percent at he hit the five pound mark, and Caden's chances to sixty as he hit four pounds. Caleb was now one pound, ten ounces, and his chances only five percent. But the doctors said that it was a good sign that he had lived for almost two weeks.

* * *

**One Month Later**

Caleb Josiah Bolton was now four pounds, five ounces, and had already had three surgery's to rid him of brain bleeds and infections. Cole and Caden were going home in two weeks. Both about the same size, they were healthy and both placed in the second group of premature baby's. (See Above)

"Will he live?" Gabriella asked as Caleb was taken out of his third surgery and returned to the NICU. He was pale, not moving, and sick looking.

"I don't know. He is bigger than he was at birth, but his condition is bad. His chances are now twenty percent, and he has been placed in the forth group of premature baby's. He is not going to go down." Gabriella smiled sadly.

* * *

**Two Weeks Later**

Caden and Cole were home, and Caleb was improving only a small bit. Troy and Gabriella were splitting their time between the NICU and home. Kessie and Diego were also spending a large amount of time at their grandparents. Cole, at seven pounds, was a healthy baby who was very active. Caden was six and a half pounds, but not nearly as active as his brother. Caden was showing signs of actually being a baby in the third group of premature baby's instead of the second group. Gabriella groaned a Cole woke her up for the forth time that night. The doctors said that premature baby's wake their parents up twice or three times as much as baby's born full term.

"This is ridiculous." She groaned as she threw her robe over her shoulder, walking into the nursery that now contained three cribs instead of only one. They had everything set up for Caleb, hoping desperately that eh would come home. Troy was at the hospital, so Gabriella was home alone with two almost newborn baby's. both baby's were a month and three weeks old. The doctors said that the had made an amazing recovery, considering. They had expected that the baby's would be in the NICU for more than two months. Gabriella picked the tiny Cole up, gently rocking him back and forth.

"Shhh. Mommy's here." She reached a hand into Caden's crib, placing it on his stomach, which was steadily moving up and down. He was warm and alive. The two boys were identical. Both having blond hair and blue eyes like their daddy. Besides Caden being a little smaller, they couldn't be told apart. Suddenly the phone rang. Gabriella gasped, her eyes going wide as she made a mad dash for the phone. As she grabbed it, she heard Caden's cry, Sighing, she answered.

"Hello? Sleep-Deprived 'R Us, Gabriella Bolton sleeping...I mean speaking." Troy laughed on the other end.

"Hard night?"

"Yea. Cole has been up three times, Caden four. They are both up right now." She placed the now quiet Cole back in his crib and rubbed Caden's leg, trying to get him to quiet down, but not picking him up for fear of dropping him while on the phone.

"News from the hospital. Can you get here? Like right now?"

* * *

Cliffie you say? Why, yees! And the information on the groups of premature baby's is true, I got it from an add on the Internet. Also, a single baby born at seven months can almost always live. But when you have three, even if they are over two pounds, they will have a MUCH bigger chance for brain bleeds and death. 

**PLEASE REVIEW** and tell me your thoughts!


	13. The Hardest Choice

Another chapter! Yeha! OK, well, enough of that. It seemed like people were getting bored of my story there for a while. But some people like it, so I have to finish it because I don't like disappoint my fans.

Oh, and I have been doing a lot of research on the web, and I know a lot more about premature baby's than when I started this fic.

**P.S.** Please keep in mind that I do not have a beta, all mistakes are mine.

* * *

Gabriella gripped the phone tightly as Troy hung up on the other end. She quickly dressed Caden and Cole in warm, soft blue fuzzies and wrapped them in blankets. Kessie and Diego had been woken up by then thunderstorms and were ready and waiting as soon as Gabriella said they had to go. Grabbing her purse on the way out, she placed the two in their stroller and rolled it out to the car. Buckling them in tight, she made sure they would not fall out and placed the stroller in the back seat. Jumping in the front, she started up the car . Making sure the windshield wipers were on, she began the slow drive through the pouring rain. 

Two or three times she nearly crashed into something. The rain was slick and hard, and she could barely see anything. Finally pulling up in front of the Hospital, she placed Caden and Cole into their stroller again and quickly, but safely, went inside, holding the hand of Kessie and having Diego hang onto her coat.. Walking up to the NICU, she met Troy at the entrance of the room. She shook her wet hair out of her face, and left Caden and Cole with the nurses, who had grown quite fond of them while they had stayed in the NICU.

"What is it?" Gabriella asked.She then ran over to Caleb's crib. His name was still taped to the little cubical, but he was gone."Where is Caleb?"

"The doctors said he is going to need surgery again, to fix a ruptured vessel in his heart, but he should out soon. It was a minor surgery and he should recover quickly." Gabriella began crying. Troy pulled her into his arms and whispered comforting words to her.

"Can I speak with the doctor?" Gabriella asked, pulling back after a minute. Kessie was looking at one of the baby's. It's mother smiling down at her as she spoke up to it.

"My bwaby bwother was jwus wike you, and he OK. You be OK to." The baby she was looking at was a little girl, looking no older than a month. Troy walked over and picked up Kessie.

"I am sorry, was she bothering you?" The mom smiled a little through her tears.

"No. This is Paige. She was born at six months. Her sister already died, and what your daughter said was the only good thing we have heard yet." Kessie smiled, looking down at hte little baby.

"Well, my son, Caleb, is also in bad shape. His brothers are OK, though. I am sorry about Paige." Troy continued to talk with the lady as Gabriella spoke with the doctor.

"Are we being mean, letting him live a life like this? Would it be better to let him go?" As much as it pained her to say it, if his life was hurting him, she would give Caleb peace.

"He is in a lot of pain, but we are minimizing it as much as we can. I can't say for sure if he is going to pull through, so I cannot answer that question right. Letting him go would stop his suffering. He is in bad shape, and if I were you, I would do him a favor of letting him escape it. He has had to may problems to make a full recovery. We think he is going to need a heart transplant even now, if he can live long enough to meet the size requirements for transplant surgery." The doctor said firmly. Gabriella nodded, tears flowing down her face. Her baby...

"What's up?" Troy asked as he walked over.

"We are talking about letting Caleb go." Gabriella said, sniffling as Troy brung her into his arms.

"What? Why?"

"He is in a lot of pain, and he needs a heart transplant." The doctor said gently.

"Can we talk about this for a while?" Troy asked. The doctor nodded and walked off. Troy and Gabriella walked out of the NICU. Loud, calm, and sad voices could be heard over the next hour. The nurses kept Caden, Cole, Kessie and Diego company while Troy and Gabriella talked, so they would not interrupt them. Finally, tears falling down their faces, Gabriella and Troy walked back in. Caleb was out of surgery by now, laying on his bed. He was pale, and sickly looking.

Gabriella walked over to Caleb's bed and cried harder as she noticed he was awake. He shakily reached a hand up, trying to touch her. She let him grab her finger. "Troy, I don't think I can do this. He is awake, for Gods sake! How can we kill him while he is looking us straight in the eye?" Caleb's tiny, weak hand gripped Gabriella's ring finger softly.

"I don't think I can do it either. Doctor, how far from the required weight is he?"

"Two pounds. Baby's have to be at least seven, or they will die on the table."

"And how long until his heart goes into failure?"

"A week, two at most." Troy reached a hand down to Caleb, touching his tiny baby face. He was so small, helpless. They had to make this decision for him. They had to help him.

"Let's do it." Gabriella let a new wave of tears hit her. "We can't let him suffer like this." A loud beeping from the other end of the room where the woman sat with her baby Paige pulled Gabriella from her thoughts. The woman started crying as the doctors worked on her baby. Soon, the beeping stopped and steadied into a rhythmic beeping. Gabriella looked away, turning her eye's back to Caleb. He was starting to close his little blue eyes, falling into what was going to be his last sleep.

"OK." The doctor stood over Caleb, gently unhooking the machine that provided oxygen to him. The tube remained in his mouth as the oxygen was cut off. His tiny hand slowly slipped from Gabriella's as he stopped breathing. Soon, a small, steady beep came from the machine. The doctor quickly checked a few things, then looked up at the two parents.

"I don't believe it!"

* * *

YIPES! _Ducks from mad fans._ Heeelp me! Well, another cliff-hanger! Will Caleb be OK? Will Paige be OK? How will Gabriella and Troy live with letting their son go? 

**PLEASE REVIEW** and refrain from killing me!


	14. One Baby Down, One More To Live

The big news in this chapter. Anyway, I have been doing a ton of research, and I am going to have a lot in this chapter to dump on you, so be prepared. Oh, and I think I am going to have only three more chapters unless people want more, so tell me what you want, and I will grant your wish.

OK, in the last chapter, I said that Caleb was just getting out of surgery. **WHAT I MEANT** was he was getting out of post-Operation watch. The reason Troy hadn't called Gabriella earlier was because he was asleep when Caleb was taken to surgery. Yees, he slept in the NICU, in the chairs.

**P.S.** I have no beta, all mistakes are mine. (Though I have ran this through a spellchecker)

* * *

Gabriella gasped as she looked at the heart monitor. There was a slow, steady beeping as Caleb began to breathe on his own. He was still not awake, for the half of a minute without oxygen made him pass out. His chest rose and fell with each tiny breath he took. The doctor checked a few more things and turned to Troy and Gabriella.  
"I don't believe it," She said again. 

"Believe what? What's wrong?" Gabriella, having forgotten that they were going to let the baby go only minutes ago, asked.

"The intibation, it was actually limiting his breathing. We believed that he was to weak to breathe on his own, but he is. Om, my God. This is amazing!" Gabriella gaped.

"Will he be OK then?" The doctor paused.

"Well, his breathing is good, but he still will need a heart transplant in about a week, sooner if possible. But we want to be sure he will live. I have to run some tests..." She walked off, her eye's still wide and muttering 'this is impossible' to herself. Gabriella looked down at Caleb. His chest till rose and fell in perfect rhtyem, tiny sounds escaping his mouth with each inhale and exhale.

"Wow." Was all she said. Soon, Caleb was opening his eye's. He looked around, making cooing noises now. The tube was removed from his throat, so he could make noise. Gabriella smiled, letting him wrap his hand around her finger. He was so tiny. Only five pounds even, Gabriella was surprised he could even make noise. Soon, he was asleep again. Gabriella let her fingers trace the now stitched cut on his chest where they had had to cut him open. It was still oozing blood a little, but he had been in careful observation for the last ten hours before he was aloud back into the NICU. Gabriella wiped away tears. Caleb was small, but not tiny like he was when he was born. When he was born, he could fit in the palm of er hand. Not she could hold him in the crook of her arm.

He was wearing a small, light blue outfit that covered his whole body except his left foot for his IV and blood monitor to hook up to, and his hands. His hair was grown a tiny bit too, it was blond, like his brother's, but he had only the smallest bit, and you could see his scars from surgery. It had t be shaved before each surgery, so it had no real time to grow. Gabriella smiled and took out her camera. She brought it with her every time he came to the NICU, just so she could get a picture to show to her on-line friends.

"Gabi? The doctor wants to talk to us." Troy said slowly, placing his hand on her shoulder. She nodded, and giving Caleb the smallest of kisses, walked out into the hall with the doctor was waiting.

"Caleb is doing as well as can be expected, and we now have confirmed that he has a bad case of cerebral palsy. Ataxic, in his case. It is one of the more rare kinds, but how it should effect him in the future, if he lives, is he will have problems with balance and coordination. Caden has a mild case of the more common type, spatsic. How it will effect him is he can't relax his muscles or the muscles may be stiff. Cole escaped it all together."

"So, will they be able to walk?"

"I think Caden will have to wear leg braces, but he shouldn't have a problem walking with them. And we won't be able to tell clearly until he is about two, but we also think that it has affected the speech part of his brain. He will have talking problems and we are going to want him to go through physical and speech therapy in the future." The doctor said. "I will give you some papers on both of their conditions after we are done."

"And Caleb?" Gabriella asked.

"He will need a wheelchair or leg braces all the time, and will still have trouble even then. And don't get me wrong, Ca den can still live a normal life, do things normal kids do, even compete in games. Even Caleb will live normally. We see no signs of advanced brain problems, so he should be just fine if he can pull through this heart situation." She smiled reassuringly. "He s doing great now. If his heart were healthy, we would put him at above fifty percent chance survival. We have set out a nation wide note that we need a newborn, preferably small heart for transplant."

"But doesn't that mean that some other baby will have to die?" The nurse nodded.

"It is a give and take situation. Most premature baby's die, if born before six months, so if we can find a heart big enough, we should have on within the week. Oh, I have to go. I need to go see how some other baby's are doing and finish my rounds." Gabriella smiled and sat down in one of the chairs. Kessie was sleeping in her stroller, while Diego was curled up on one of the other seats. Caden was cooing in his stroller while Cole was sleeping beside him. Troy sat beside Gabriella and put his arm around her.

"Whats wrong?" he asked softly.

"I don't know. Here we are, hoping some other mother and father will go what we have gone through, losing a baby, so save Caleb. Some parent or sibling is going to have to go what we went through losing Jesson and Hope. How can we sit here, just hoping, wishing, to put someone else through that so Caleb will live? It just seems wrong." She started crying and Troy pulled her into his arms.

"I don't know. When Jesson died, we gave up his heart to save a little girl. Though we were torn that our baby died, we were happy that some other little girl would live. Whatever happens, it will all be alright." Gabriella nodded and continued to cry. It was just a very emotional situation. Suddenly, Caden yelped as Cole shifted in his sleep. The nurses all laughed as the baby tried to scooch away from his brother, not getting far because at three months, all he had control of were his head and arms. He turned his head from side to side, cooing and gurgling. Gabriella wiped her tears away and reached over to pick Caden up. He cooed some more and kicked his legs back and forth.

"Hey, little guy. Wanna see your older brother?" Caden cooed louder, so she took that as a 'Yes.' Walking over to little Caleb's crib, she looked in on him, letting Caden see him, while still supporting his head. He just gurgled some more. Soon, he was back asleep and Gabriella set him back in the stroller, walking up to the counter in the NICU.

"Excuse me?"

"Yes?" One of the nurses said, looking up.

"Do you have any sort of paper on what baby's should be doing at certain stages of their life?" The nurse nodded and handed Gabriella a printed piece of paper.

"We give these to all new moms." Then turning back to her work, said not another word. Gabriella shrugged and sat back down beside the now snoring Troy. Looking over the paper, she smiled. Caden and Cole were doing fine. This is what it said:

At 3 months, a baby is alert and responding to the world:

When put on his/her tummy, he/she can hold her chest and  
head up for 10 sec.  
He/she tries to swipe at toys hung over the crib.  
He/she turns her head toward an interesting sound or  
listens to voices.  
Loves to stare at people's faces.  
He/she coos and gurgles  
Height-23.5 inches Weight-12.5 pounds

At 6 months, he/she is developing control over his/her body.

He/she can sit with support and may sit alone for short  
periods of time.  
He/she can roll over  
He/she will hold out his/her arms to be lifted up or  
reach and grab an object.  
He/she can hold his/her own bottle and toys  
. He/she laughs out loud, babbles, "calls" for help and  
screams when annoyed.  
Height-26 inches  
Weight-16 pounds

At 9 months, he/she is exploring her environment.

He/she can sit unassisted, crawl, pull to a stand and  
side-step along furniture.  
He/she can use his/her fingers to point, poke, and grasp  
small objects.  
He/she feeds herself finger foods  
He/she knows her name and responds to simple commands  
He/she uses "jargon"-babbling a pattern as if she were  
speaking a foreign language.  
Height-27.5 inches  
Weight-19 pounds

At 1 year, he/she is striving for independence.

He/she stands and may walk by him/herself.  
He/she climbs up and down stairs and out of the crib or  
play-pen.  
He/she prefers using one hand over the other and can  
drop and throw toys.  
He/she fears strange people and places.  
He/she remembers events, expresses affection, shows  
emotions, uses trial and error to solve a problem.  
Height-29.5 inches  
Weight-22 pounds

Beside the weight and height, they were coming along great. Caden was now eight pounds,nineteen inches, and Cole was eight and a half pounds, twenty inches. Caleb was five pounds, thirteen inches. Smiling as she heard his tiny cry from across the room, Gabriella walked up to Caleb's crib and took his tiny hand in her own. He looked up and gurgled, and Gabriella could have sworn he was smiling.

* * *

Six days later, there was no news on a heart for Caleb. He was now taking many medications, and hooked up to several machines to support his breathing and monitor his failing heart. Gabriella was in the NICU with Caden and Troy. Kessie, Diego and Cole had gone to their grandma's for the day. The only reason Gabriella had brought Caden with her is because he had a small fever and she was worried. She looked down as he coughed. The nurses in the NICU had said that it was just a small cold, nothing to be worried about. Gabriella was pulled from her thoughts by a loud, steady beeping. Quickly looking to Caleb's machine, she realized it was not his. He was still alive, if just barely. Looking across the room, she saw the mom of the little girl, Paige, frantic. It was her baby girl dying. 

Soon, the doctors stopped, pulling off their gloves and turning off the machine that gave Paige life. She was gone. Gabriella's heart went out to the mother. Paige's twin sister had already died, and she had just lost her only other child. The doctor took the lady aside and began talking to her. Gabriella heard a little of what they were saying.

"I am sorry ma'am, and I would normally give you a lot more time, but there is a young baby with the same blood type in bad need of a heart transplant. I don't think he will live another day. If you are willing..." There was a pause, and soon the young mother nodded.

"If it will keep another couple of parents from going what I am going through, I guess so. But is there anything you can do for Paige?" The doctor shook his head. Paige's mother continued crying, dropping into a chair beside her baby bed.

"What is the baby's name?" Gabriella was shocked by what came next.

"Caleb Bolton."

* * *

Dun, dun dun! Well, what do you think? Hmmm? Well, I hope you like. The next chapter will start where I left off now, and the second part will be one year in the future. 

**PLEASE REVIEW** and refrain from killing me!


	15. A New Heart, A New Start

Hi! I am happy! I got a lot of positive feedback. When and if you review this chapter, I have a poll that needs voting. I have some plot ideas of I go more than three chapters.

**Choice 1**: Do NOT continue more then two chapters after this.

**Choice 2**: Please DO continue more than two chapters after this.

**Choice 3**: Stop it right here.

**Oh, and the Triplets were born past midnight, so they were born on Diego's birthday. Needless to say, he got the best birthday present ever.  
**  
**P.S.** I have no beta, all mistakes are mine.

* * *

Gabriella was frozen with shock. She just stood there, rubbing Caleb's hand with her finger, for who knows how long. Finally, she forced herself to look over. The mom was signing the necessary papers for the heart transplant. The doctor smiled reassuringly, and let the mother cry on his shoulder for a while. Soon, she stood up, walking over to her now pale baby and held her hand. Crying, she spoke to Paige. 

"Hey, sweetie. Sorry you couldn't live, but do you want to save another baby's life? Thought so." Still crying, she let the doctors take her baby off for Pre-Operation arrangement. The doctor then walked up to Gabriella, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Ma'am? We found a heart for Caleb." Gabriella decided to respect the woman's privacy, and decided to pretend she hadn't overheard the conversation between the mother and Paige's doctor.

"What? Really?" She said, grinning from ear to ear.

"Yes. But we have to get him into surgery right away if her is going to live. And I must warn you, he has a small fever and the infecting could cause him to go into cardiac arrest and he might not pull through. But if we wait, he will most certainly die." Gabriella nodded, holding Caleb's hand as they unhooked him from the machines that could not be moved and wheel him off into Pre-Op. Gabriella quickly found a phone and called Troy to tell him the good news. He picked up on the third ring.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Troy, it's me." Gabriella said. He cheered up.

"Is Caleb OK?" It was their standard question when the other called from the NICU.

"Yes, they found him a heart. He has gone into surgery already. Could you come up?" Troy nodded, and then, realizing she couldn't see him, spoke instead.

"Yes. I will drop Kessie and Diego off at your mom's first, but Cole and Caden come, right?"

"Yes, the doctors want to check them to make sure they are over their colds yet, anyway, please hurry! I want you to be here as soon as possible."

"OK. Love, ya." Troy hung up and started rounding the kids up.

* * *

An hour and a half later, sue to much traffic, Troy arrived with Cole and Caden in their triplet stroller. One seat had remained empty for the last two months, but was going to be filled soon if everything went right. As soon as Troy walked into the O.R. (Operating Room), he saw Gabriella pacing around in front of the window. The transplant team had already transplanted the heart, and were making sure everything was right with Caleb's vital organs before stitching him up. Troy walked over to Gabriella, leaving Cole and Caden a few feet away. 

"Is he OK? Where did they find a heart?" Gabriella smiled at his questioning tone.

"He's fine. The doctor said he should be out of surgery soon. Um, the heart came from a little girl that died not long ago in the NICU, not twenty feet from us." Gabriella started crying again. She knew that to have Caleb live would cost another baby it's life, but she never imagined watching the baby die. It was horrible, but it was a miracle.

"It's OK, Gabriella." Troy attempted to calm her down. Suddenly, Paige's mother walked into the room. Her eye's were red and puffy because she had been crying.

"Hello." She said shyly.

"Hi," Gabriella replied, walking over.

"Um, are you two the parents of Caleb Bolton, the little boy that Paige saved?" She wiped tears away as she spoke. Gabriella nodded softly and Paige's mother continued. "I'm Kelly Dentin. I just wanted to talk to you."

"Sure. I am so sorry about what you are going through. I understand how it must be for you." Gabriella said. Troy walked away slowly, sensing that this was a conversation better left alone for the women.

"How could you?" Kelly asked through her tears. Gabriella took a deep breath. As much as it pained her to talk about Jesson and Hope, she knew it would help this mother to know other people had been where she was now, and they had made it through.

"My son, Diego, had to deliver my second child at home when I went into labor at five months. He was three, and accidentally cut Jesson in the stomach as he was cutting the cord. He has had to live with that, and so have we. My second daughter, Hope, was born at three months and she died within minutes." Gabriella explained, on the verge of tears herself. Kelly nodded.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked."

"No, it's OK." Suddenly, an idea came to Gabriella. "Would you like to hold one of my babies?" She asked. Kelly, who had never gotten to hold her babies because they were so fragile, nodded. Gabriella smiled and reached into the stroller, taking the now awake Caden out.

"This is Caden. He is Cole and Caleb's triplet." The woman smiled as Caden wiggled in her arms, gurgling and cooing. Laughing, she wiped more tears away as Caden swatted at one that had fallen on his face. Kicking his legs up into the air, he tried to grab one, but missed. He squealed loudly and turned to Gabriella. She smiled and gave him his bottle, handing it to Kelly to hold. She smiled for the first time since Paige had died.

"He's beautiful."

"Thank you." Just then Cole started whining. Gabriella laughed and picked him up. "He likes to be the center of attention." Kelly laughed a little too as Caden scrunched up his face and started crying.

* * *

Two hours later, Caleb was out of surgery and in Post-Operation. Kelly, who had gotten permission from Gabriella and Troy to see Caleb, was standing over his crib as Troy and Gabriella talked to the doctor. 

"So, is he OK?" Gabriella asked.

"Well, he seems to be accepting the new heart all right, and shows no signs of rejecting it, but still, we have him on anti-rejection drugs until we know more. He is a healthy pink color and I think he will be waking up soon." He smiled and placed Caleb's chart on the crib again, walking off to do his rounds. Gabriella walked over to little Caleb's crib and smiled in on him. He was going to be alright.

* * *

Nine Months Later -- Two weeks until the triplets birthday + Diego's.

Cole was toddling across the floor and Caden was crawling, though with a lot of trouble. Him and Caleb weren't going to start physical therapy until they were two, so their CP was limiting thema lot. Caden had just started crawling recently, and still had yet to say his first word. The doctors said that yes, the speech part of his brain had been effected and he would need to under go major speech therapy.

Cole's first word had not been mama, or Dada, but instead, Cabe! Caleb was now doing great. He was nineteen pounds and twenty inches. Still small for an almost one-year-old, but he was still doing great. He was showing no signs of rejection to the heart, and Kelly had delivered another baby girl just two months ago. She was extremely healthy, and her name was Dannie.

And Gabriella was eight months pregnant. The Bolton house was crazy. And I mean, CRAZY. Four boys and two girls. Yes, the ultrasound said girl. Kessie had a sister. They had already agreed on a name. It was easy, because they had let Kessie pick. Their daughter was going to be named Kenzi Michelle Bolton.

As of this moment, Troy was at work, Diego was at school, Kessie was at pre-pre-K and the triplets were sleeping. Falling back against the couch, Gabriella wondered why she hadn't shot Troy for getting her pregnant so many times. But she wanted to give Kessie a sister. After this one, she was putting her foot down and getting on birth control. She just couldn't do it! Diego was almost six, Kessie was three, and the triplets were almost one, and another baby girl on the way. Ugh.

Gabriella stood to go start dinner before everyone came home and she was stuck in the middle of a mad house. As she walked down the hall, she felt water dripping down her leg. Her water had broken; she was going into labor.

* * *

Yipes! Seventh member of the Bolton family! Well, I made Gabriella almost carry to term this time, so I hope everyone is happy. Danni and the new baby are going to be great friends in the future, just so you know. 

Oh, and do you think I rushed this just a bit? Or were you tired of the NICU and Caleb? Now Kenzi is on he rway!

**PLEASE REVIEW** and refrain from killing me!


	16. Epilogue

Sorry! Due to not much time in my life, and personal problems, I am finishing this story with this chapter. I WILL write a sequel about the triplets problems with CP sometime in the future, but I have no time now. Give me a month and I will have it up and started!

Thanks!

**P.S.** I have no beta, all mistakes are mine.

* * *

Gabriella screamed as another contraction hit her. Troy held her hand and whispered quietly as Cole bounced in his lap. Caden screamed as well, while Caleb was being a perfect little baby. Breathing deeply as she relaxed for a minute before the next time to push, Gabriella turned to Troy. 

"If you ever, and I mean, EVER get me pregnant again, I swear, I will KILL you!" Troy turned to the OB for help. He smiled.

"This is normal when a mother goes through a lot of pain. She has never threatened you before?" He asked, a hint of amusment in his voice as he looked at all of their kids.

"Well, on our first child. The rest of the children were premature, so it didn't hurt as bad, I guess." Troy shrugged and braced himself as he felt Gabriella's body tighten as another contraction hit her. He swore, he wanted to cry himself with the pain he was feeling in his hand.

"OK, one more push, Mrs. Bolton, and Kenzi will be in the world." Gabriella pushed with the next contraction and soon a little cry filled the room. "Troy, would you like to cut the cord?" Troy nodded and cut the cord with shaking hands. The doctor whisked her off.

"Is she OK?" Gabriella asked, worried.

"Eight pounds, seven ounces and fourteen inches long. She is healthy and I think the direct feeding made her more healthy for a month premature." Troy smiled as his daughter was placed in his arms. She was fiesty, kicking the blanket off of her. Laughing, Troy placed it back on, handing the little girl to Gabriella. She smiled. Kenzi Michelle, with much pain, was welcomed into the world on June 26, 2009.

* * *

Troy smiled as he watched Deigo take part in the 1st grade musical. He had missed him in the kindergarden musical, because he had been at the hospital with Caden when he was five months due to a big fever. Deigo and Haven were the star acter and actress in the play, once again, and were doing a great job. When the play finished, all the actors bowed and the croud erupted in appluase. Troy caught his sons eye.

'Good job,' he mouthed.

'Thanks.' Deigo mouthed back.

* * *

Smiling, Troy watched Kenzi crawl across the floor. She was eight months old, and was an early crawler. She had started two months ago. Just then, Cole toddled into the room, bending down and poking his baby sister. Next, Caden came into the room. He was still crawling, so he could relate to Kenzi. Deigo and Kessie were at school, so the house was pretty quiet. Only _four_ kids under the age of two now. Gabriella came in from the kitchen, holding Caleb, who was trying to hold his head up right. He was barely crawling, but the doctor said it was normal, and he would start soon.

"How is Kenzi?" She had gotten sick the day before, but it seemed to be the one-day-cold.

"Good." Troy smiled as he watched Kenzi rock back and forth on her knees, grabbing onto the couch and holding her on unsteady feet. Troy gasped, running and grabing the camera, turning it on as Kenzi let go of the couch and started walking forward. Gabriella smiled and clapped lightly. Caleb was smiling and babbling nonsense. He and Caden had been taking speech therapy, but neither could talk very well yet.

"Dada!" Kenzi said as she fell forward onto her stomach. Troy laughed.

"Well, she said her first word and took her first steps at the same time." Gabriella laughed. Six kids, two in heaven, one stubborn husband, and eight years. Now, she was right where she wanted to be.

* * *

Happy endings! I PROMISE a sequel soon! But right now I am busy and have a lot of personal problems, so I am ending this on a good note with th promise of another. Look for it in two weeks to a month. It will be called, ''Life A Way Other Than We Know It'. And will be about Cole, Caden and Caleb as they grow up with CP and how they deal with it. Will be set six years later, when they are seven. Have fun and look for it!

**PLEASE REVIEW!**


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